biography

Casper Faassen (*1975, NL) grew up in Leiden where he developed his passion for drawing, painting and art. Famous Leiden masters – Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Jan Steen (1625-1679) and Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) – were his inspiration. After leaving high school Faassen studied at the University of Amsterdam. He continued to pursue his artistic ambitions, painting daily and thus compiling an impressive oeuvre. The influence of Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) in his work – in particular his (female) nudes – can clearly be seen in both subject matter and strong line definition. 

Characteristic of Faassen‘s works is his ongoing innovative approach to material, techniques and disciplines. In addition to painting and graphic art, Faassen devotes much of his time to the medium of photography. It is in his photographic work that we recognize the Leiden painters who inspired him. His distinctive works depict their classic 17th-century themes such as cityscapes, vanitas paintings and flower arrangements. 

A look at Faassen’s œuvre as a whole reveals that such themes as transience, beauty and female splendour form the basis of his work.

In his own words: "The juxtaposition between the eternal and the temporal, beauty and decay, appearing and disappearing is my main theme. All painters and photographers have the ability to freeze time and capture a single moment. I emphasize that moment by adding an element of time – not necessarily by using literal vanitas references but through the handling of materials. The use of craquelure is my symbol for time and introduces a visual element since it is oil paint and thus sharp, contrasting with the rest of the blurry image. Most of the distance is created by the way the picture is taken, through a matte medium. I print the image on to that same matte medium giving a further sense of distance. What I also like about the craquelure is the texture it gives to the surface or skin. The work becomes more material, more substantial, pointing toward painting instead of photography and thus encouraging a different way of perceiving the work. Within this visual language I`ve grown so comfortable with, I love to explore different themes. You could say that the ReCollection series, Movement and Nature have my main focus now."

Exhibitions and projects (selection)

2022
• PAN Amsterdam, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)
• 20 year celebration exhibiton Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden (NL)
• Group show, Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis, Leiden (NL)

• Art Rotterdam, solo show, BILDHALLE, Rotterdam (NL)
• Art Paris, group show, IBASHO, Paris (FR)
• Upcoming: “Ocean”, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)
• Upcoming: Photo London, group show, BILDHALLE, London (UK)
• Upcoming: AIPAD, group show, IBASHO, New York City (US)

2021
• “Levitate”, solo show, BILDHALLE, Zurich (CH)
• Photo London, group show, BILDHALLE, London (UK)
• “CHAOS“, dance performance and exhibition, Origen Festival Cultural, Engadine (CH)
• PAN Amsterdam, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)
• UNSEEN, group show, BILDHALLE, Amsterdam (NL)

2020
• BIG ART, group show, Hem terrein, Amsterdam (NL)
• “Hover through the fog and filthy air”, film project with Marne van Opstal
• “Les Marées”, solo show, Project 2.0 Gallery, The Hague (NL)
• “Finissage”, film project with Irina Renes and Jorge Nozal

2019
• Solo show, Gallery Dessers, Leuven (BE)
• Photo Basel, group show, Kahnmann Gallery, Basel (CH)
• AIPAD, group show, IBASHO, New York City (US)
• BIG ART, group show, Hem terrein, Amsterdam (NL)
• “NUDE NOW”, group show, Museum Hilversum (NL)
• “The Self”, group show, Marktsteeg, Leiden (NL)
• PAN Amsterdam, group show, Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)
• “Still”, solo show, Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)

2018
• “Haute Photographie”, group show, Kahmann Gallery, Rotterdam (NL)
• “Casper Faassen”, solo show, MC2 Gallery, Milan (IT)
• MIA Photofair, group show, MC2 Gallery, Milan (IT)
• Salone del Mobile, video work, Studio Piet Boon, Milan (IT)
• Haute Photographie Stockholm, group show, Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm (SE)

2017
• “View on The Hague”, ongoing group show, Haags Historisch
Museum, The Hague (NL)
• “Snap!”, group show, Le Salon 2017, Orlando (US)
• “Chiaroscuro”, solo show, W Hotel, Amsterdam (NL)
• Photo Basel, group show, Kahmann Gallery, Basel (CH)
• Photofairs Shanghai, group show, Kahnmann Gallery, Shanghai (CN)

2016
• “Amsterdam Fleeting Images”, solo show, Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)
• “Fleeting Images”, solo show, Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis, Leiden (NL)

Books
• 2020, “Recollection”, the (M)éditions & IBASHO
• 2020, “Ido”, Y-Publishers

Awards & Acquisitions
• Casper was awarded Talent of the Year in the Dutch national ‚Artist of the Year‘ competition in 2007.
• In 2019 he won the ALPA Award at Photo Basel.
• His work is acquired by both private and public collections such
as Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem,
the Royal Library, The Hague, Haagsch Historisch Museum, The
Hague